Short Term Additional Resource (STAR) Guidance for Schools

This guidance lets head teachers and others know about a new system to allocate funding from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) High Needs Block for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

From January 2016 we will be piloting a way in which schools can receive funding for pupils with SEND who whilst having significant needs do not currently meet the criteria for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Schools Forum have agreed that this funding from the high needs block will be to fund the needs of children with SEND over and above the current targeted funding in element 2 as illustrated in FIG 1 below.

Title / Description / Amount
Universal funding / Entitlement for all pupils funded through element 1 AWPU / C £4000
Targeted funding / Element 2 Funding allocated through formula to mainstream schools: from this budget schools will be expected to:
  • meet the needs of all pupils with low cost high incidence SEN with additional needs costing up to £6000 ,
  • also contribute £6000 towards the cost of provision for pupils with higher needs, who have high needs block top up funding and/or a statement of SEN/EHC plan
/ Up to £6000
Additional resource funding / Top up funding from the LA from the high needs block for pupils with more complex, high cost needs (but without significant medical or social care needs)where short term funding up to one year is expected to make a difference / Up to £3000
Funding through EHC plans / Top up funding for pupils whose high needs block funding requirements exceed £3000 , and those with significant medical or social care needs

In order for the funding to be allocated fairly and contribute effectively to achieving pupil outcomes there will be a robust procedure to be followed which will be reviewed and amended as appropriate towards the end of the summer term so that it can be fully implemented from September 2016. The process will involve applications to a panel which will include representatives from schools.

This guidance outlines:

  • The criteria for Short Term Additional Resource (STAR)
  • Criteria for funding
  • Description of children to whom this funding applies
  • The application process and sample form
  • A flow chart explaining the process
  • The membership of the STAR funding panel
  • Sample costings to aid schools in their request for funding.

Criteria for funding.

Children eligible for funding will:

  1. Attend state funded mainstream Redbridge school.
  2. Be aged 5-16
  3. Not meet criteria for EHC plan.
  4. Have significant special educational needs
  5. Not have significant social care or health needs (other than education related therapy needs).
  6. Be expected to respond to an additional intervention within one year
  7. Require special education provision exceeding £6000 per year and below £9000.

Description of children to whom this funding applies

Typically this funding will be relevant to children/young people in one or more of the following groups

  • Have learning difficulties or delay that requiresignificant targeted interventions and a differentiated curriculum but not a parallel/separate curriculum.
  • Present with social and emotional difficulties which significantly affect their learning, relationships, or classroom management.
  • Present with social communication difficulties (with or without a diagnosis of autism) which significantly affect their learning, relationships or classroom management.
  • Can be expected to respond to targeted intervention during the next 12 months sufficiently that needs may be met with delegated funding after that period.
  • Have significant needs which may or may not lead to a need for an EHC plan after 12 months targeted interventions

The funding available

Additional ResourceFunding will be provided in 3 bands:

Band 1 £1000 pa

Band 2 £2000 pa

Band 3 £3000 pa

A spreadsheet is attached which outlines the approximate costs of additional support to aid the school in deciding how much funding is required. Details of how the funding is to be spent must be included with the application.

The application process

The attached form must always be used to make an application for STAR funding.The form is available atFronter and MARCO Just for SENCOs .The school will be expected to have sought the advice of appropriate support services and evidence of this must be included in the application. The child must always have been discussed with an educational psychologist. The referral documentation must include a completed ‘costingprofile excel sheet ‘which is attached and demonstrates that the school has resourced the pupil’s additional needs at a level above £6000. The referral must also show how the funding applied for will be used to achieve SMART educational outcomes in a year’s time.

Parents and where possible the child must always have been involved in the decision to apply for STAR funding and this should be recorded in the notes of a normal SEN Support Review.

Applications will be discussed at an Additional Support Funding Panel which will meet every half term. Applications should be sent to arrive one week before the panel date which will be notified to SENCOs by e.mail.

The Additional Resource Funding panel will usually comprise:

  • SEN Service manager
  • Principal Educational Psychologist
  • SEN Advisory Teacher
  • Primary School representative
  • Secondary School Representative
  • Support Services representatives

Next steps

At the end of the STAR funding period the school must review the child’s progress against the specified outcomes and send a copy of the review to . In most cases it is anticipated that the child’s progress will enable them to continue using the schools SEN support. Exceptionally an application for a further year of STAR funding can be made or a referral for an EHC assessment.

Short Term Additional Resource funding Guidance for Schools January 2016Page 1 of 3